With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Detective Conan that rightfully belong to its owner Aoyama Gosho.

Happy Halloween, my dear audience! On this auspicious night OnyxKatana and I are proud to present the twenty-third act of Paper Faces. Furthermore, I would like to thank Red-Hot Habanero for her valuable feedback on this particular chapter. This tale has endured quite the journey so far with more magic and mystery to be enjoyed. So without further do, let us begin! :)

In his darkened office overlooking the City of Angels, the Maestro listened carefully to Ishikawa's report on the other end of the telephone. "Very good. You have my permission to proceed with the arrangements of this...meeting. Where? Ah, perhaps at that place. Yes. Yes, that's fine. Hashimoto will send you the address. I'll be there in five days. Security? We'll discuss those details further when I land in Europe. Yes. Good night."

Disconnecting the line with a touch of his cell phone, the Maestro then stood up from his chair and walked towards the window before releasing a tired breath. How did his organization become so incompetent over the last two years? The Volley Comet would be arriving soon and his second-in-command has once again nearly spent the yearly budget to eliminate a single man. How troublesome. If it were up to the Maestro, he would simply get rid of Snake and hire someone with more competence, and for lack of a better word, evenly-tempered. The Maestro had learned through various sources that the moustached man had very little patience, would preferring to shoot first and ask questions later. That line of thinking was dangerous, both to the idiot and the entire Organization.

Nonetheless, the Maestro was pleased with this turn of events. Kudo Shinichi had no idea who Ishikawa worked for, or what they had planned for the young lady less than a week from now.

A gloved hand touched the glass, cold eyes peering across the brightly-lit metropolis before he turned his attention back at an intricate portrait hanging above the doorway. "Pandora will soon be in my grasp. And then, I'll be able to see you smile at me once more. Please wait a little longer, Bice."

xPFx

Meanwhile on the other side of the world Kaito and Shinichi were in the latter's apartment, both staring intently at the wooden container on the coffee table. Forty-eight hours after the 'detective' visited Ishikawa, Kaito had gotten a call back from the antique dealer and made a tentative appointment on Sunday afternoon at a disclosed location written on a piece of paper. Normally, this collector was hard to get into contact with due to his busy schedule. But considering the item in question is tied to the manuscripts he possessed, he would be making an exception for Ishikawa.

Today was Thursday, almost the end of the week with no new leads on how to open the container except what Kaito had learned from his recon mission. Dark blue orbs glanced at narrowed indigo ones.

"A penny for your thoughts, Kuroba-kun?"

The dark-haired teen looked at her, his brows scrunched up in contemplation. "It's nothing, Shin-chan. It's just that I feel so frustrated, like I'm missing something vital when I know I should have seen it! I just don't know what…"

Shinichi remained silent, reaching over to cover and squeeze his hand with her own. "There's definitely more to this mystery than what we're seeing right now. We just have to figure out what that is," Releasing her grip on Kaito's palm - much to his displeasure - the sleuth leaned forward and picked up up the container. "You said Ishikawa took his time examining this item, right?" When she saw the magician nod, Shinichi continued. "If he is working with the Organization, it's possible that his superiors sent him something, notes on what to look for and make sure this is really the container for Pandora. Hold on…what's this?"

Frowning, the young woman rubbed the underside of the box again. "Dents? No, these are smaller, and...circular?" Turning the container around so she could see what she was feeling, her eyes widened in surprise. "This...I think this is Braille!" She brushed her fingers over the markings, a confused expression appearing on her face. "But, hold on. No. This…" Shinichi shook her head, her eyebrows creasing in frustration. "I don't understand it. These words don't make any sense!"

Kaito was now openly gawking at Shinichi. The young woman sitting next to him was a walking conundrum; she brought justice to victims and yet believed she caused them misery, the solution to half of his problems while also being the cause for them. All the more reason to believe they were meant for each other, right?

Taking the cylindrical item from her, Kaito flipped it around to see the Braille for himself, slowly running his fingers over the lacquered wood finish. Sure enough, there were small indentations running along the edges. Careful observation revealed that it was indeed Braille, just as Shinichi had declared moments ago. Lightly rubbing the box, he mentally analysed the Braille symbols.

It was originally devised by 19th century soldier Charles Barbier as an alternative method to silently communicate with soldiers without a source of light at the request of Napoleon Bonaparte himself, fitting dubbed "night writing". Afterwards this system was further revised by Louis Braille as a literary system for the visually impaired, being blind himself and was presently in six different languages, including Japanese. Wait...six? Kaito ran his fingers left to right again, mentally going through the recesses of his mind until he suddenly realization dawned on him as to why Shinichi couldn't make head or tail of the message.

"This is French! Shin-chan! The message written on here is in the original language of the Braille system, French!" Releasing a small 'whoop' of glee, Kaito placed the container down and nearly tripped over his two feet to grab a pen and sheet of paper from his school bag. The magician scribbled down the text, and then carefully translated it into Japanese. Once the task was complete he slid the parchment towards Shinichi, who raised an eyebrow before reading it out loud.

The ancient giant from the East,

Was slain by Man and by Beast.

And laid to rest upon his pyre.

To feed a ravenous desire,

He'd swallowed a woman whole.

Then, feeling hungry still, he tried

To swallow a horse and thus he died.

The Detective of the East turned her attention back to Kaito, a small smirk on her face. "Looks like your French heritage finally came to some use, Kuroba-kun."

Kaito pretended to be offended with a pouty expression stretched across his face. "I'll have you know that my French streak of romance is a huge hit with the ladies, my dear detective!"

Shinichi scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "What ladies? Are you sure the Great Phantom Thief is ready to settle with a single gem when there are apparently other gems to snatch for his jewelry box?" Ignoring yet another dramatic gesture from his partner, she examined the container again carefully.

"So, there was a riddle written on Braille. Ishikawa might have been aware about this, depending on the information he received from the Organization prior to meeting 'me' and this was a confirmation on the container's authenticity. But if that's true, wouldn't it strike it as odd? Look at the finish," Shinichi held up higher in the air so Kaito could see what she was talking. "For an antique that's supposedly from the 18th century, this part looks almost brand new. And...so does the Braille? No. More like...it was refurbished?" The dark-haired woman looked back at the magician with a confused frown. "No one else has seen this container or even touched it except us, Ran, and Ishikawa. Unless - "

"Unless what?"

Shinichi remained silent for a moment, lips pursed in contemplation before she slowly released the air she had been holding in, looking at Kaito straight in the eye. "Unless the only other person who had gone through the trouble is also the one who was trying to protect it from the crows. And that person might have been the one to actually unlock it once the riddle was solved before they hunted him down. Kuroba Toichi. The previous Kaitou KID." She looked back at the box again. "Perhaps, by solving this riddle, it might or might not give us the "key" needed to open this thing."

Kaito's head was now spinning at this point. As the Phantom Thief, he'd dealt with his fair share of unbelievable facts and myths that weren't myths at all, but this was getting a bit much, even for him.

"So, your theory is that somehow, my father was the one previously in possession of this box, and he somehow managed to open it. But he resealed and hid it away when he realized he was being targeted by the Organization. Going so far as to leave his own clue on the box for someone else to open it?"

Shinichi nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Now, onto the solving of the riddle." Grabbing a piece of paper and pen that was generously offered by Kaito at the flick of his wrist, she wrote down the riddle in Japanese. A contemplative frown appeared on her face as her little gray cells went to work for what seemed like an eternity, until she wrote the answer on the paper and showed it to the wide-eyed magician.

"I'm absolutely positive that this is the answer to the riddle. But the question is, how can we put it on the box? There isn't any obvious dents or spaces on the box unless...we say it. Like a voice encryption to access a vault filled with priceless values?" The sleuth frowned. "And if Kuroba Toichi possessed this container before...what if it can only be opened in his voice with the answer to the riddle?" Shinichi looked at Kaito straight in the eye. "Do you think that's something your father might do, or is it too far out for his M.O.?"

"No, you're right. That does sound like something my father would do. It would be right up his alley to pull off something like that. Especially if he intended for me to get to the box. There are few people who can mimic someone else's voice. Hold on, let me try it."

Clearing his throat, Kaito took a deep breath. Mimicking his father's baritone and warm tone of voice, he read the answer to the riddle out loud.

Yet nothing happened, the circular box stayed the way it was. Kaito repeated the single word again, though much louder this time. Alas, his efforts yielded no result.

Shinichi frowned, a flummoxed fire dancing in her blue eyes. "I-I don't get it, that have worked! I'm certain the answer to the riddle is correct, and logically, it HAS to be the previous Kaitou KID who sealed the box. So what are we will still missing?!"

The sleuth started to feel around the container again, her right hand brushing against its left side until she felt a sharp pain on the tip of her finger. Shinichi immediately pulled away and saw that it was bleeding, followed by the sound of gears clicking and turning. The teens shared a bewildered expression before Shinichi broke the silence.

"...Can you try saying the answer again?"

"Yeah. Although, do you mind if I test out another theory?" Kaito asked her, his brows furrowed. Shinichi nodded. "By all means."

Kaito took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. In a low and clear voice, he spoke the answer again. The two teens waited with bated breath, until the silence was broken by the sound of gears beginning to whirr, with the occasional clicking sound. And slowly, oh so slowly, a circular crease appeared around the container's middle as it opened, revealing a large gem with an apple-red hue glowing from its crystal interior.

Shinichi looked completely dumbfounded as she stared at the hidden treasure before looking at the equally surprised magician. "What just happened?"

Kaito rubbed the back of his neck. "It was something that you said. I was speaking in Kuroba Toichi's voice though it looks like the device he installed in the box is able to pick up even the slightest of differences in pitch. It makes sense, since the box was programmed to open to the previous Kaitou KID's voice, who was on the run from the Organization. It's the same way on how he used to make traps that could activate at the sound of his voice at a heist. That's probably one of the reasons why no one has realized that I'm KID, except you of course."

"But why would there be a mechanism to have me prick my finger?" Shinichi held up her finger with a raised brow. " I just felt around the box and got nicked. I didn't see it but I felt a blade, though a small one. Could it relate to a twisted sense of humor that involves something crimson and flowing with 'life'?"

"Could be a red herring or something, to throw the Organisation off of the search. Maybe make them believe it was made to open only through his blood or something similar. I wouldn't put it past Dad to play with their belief that Pandora gives someone eternal life." Kaito said, pulling out a band-aid from his pants pocket and carefully coiled the adhesive around Shinichi's finger. "Maybe the 'blood offering' is the first 'key' to unlock the container, and the second 'key' is to say the answer to the riddle in Dad's voice."

"Wonderful. Next thing we know, it was tailored to open only for my blood or something. At this point I don't anything will surprise me anymore." Shinichi muttered under her breath. Kaito nodded in agreement before his indigo orbs fell upon the jewel he had been chasing after for the last two years. Now at last, Pandora was within his grasp. And he could not have done so without the assistance of his beloved detective.

A heavy silence fell upon Number 223 before the sleuth tore her attention away from the gem and towards the magician sitting next to her. "So, what now?" Shinichi asked. "We know how to open the container but we haven't heard back from Ishikawa. His superiors could be in Japan today, tomorrow, or even next week."

"...I think that's enough excitement for one day, Shin-chan."

"EH?!"

The astounded expression on Shinichi's face was utterly priceless, and definitely in Kaito's 'Top Ten Faces He Loves To See on Shin-chan' list. Her expression changed, too soon for his liking, switching to a mildly frustrated one with narrowed eyes burning with a challenge. "I'm not an invalid here!"

"I didn't say you were, Shin-chan. We managed to figure out a lot about Pandora and my Dad this afternoon. Wouldn't it be better to let our magnificent brains rest until we hear from Ishikawa?"

" 'Magnificent brains', Kaito? If I didn't know any better, I'd say yours is positively fried." Shinichi said with a small smirk stretching across her face.

"Fried?! I'm the Kaitou KID! I've plotted heists more complicated than this, I'll have you know!"

Shinichi did not look impressed. "Uh-huh." The sound of gears turning and clicking reached her ears again. Glancing back at the container on the coffee table, the Detective of the East looked on as it sealed itself up on its own.

Yet once the circular lid was closed, the dark-haired sleuth suddenly recalled something she had forgotten until now. Even though she was almost recovered from being shot and another secret of Pandora had at least been revealed, there was a piece of paper sitting on top of her nightstand in the master bedroom. The 'present' Shinichi had wanted to show to Kaito at the ramen restaurant before she had been taken the ER. Using her upper body strength, the detective released a low groan as she stood up from the couch.

"Eh? Shin-chan, you need to lie down and rest -"

"I need to do this on my own Kaito," Shinichi interrupted as she tried to not wince at the dull pain that started to blossom in her body. "I'll be alright, really." The Detective of the East smiled reassuringly at the magician before she disappeared down the hall and into the first room on the left. Moments later, Shinichi hobbled back to the couch with a piece of paper in hand and a small, shy smile stretched across her face when she made eye contact with Kaito.

"Here. I was going to give this to you when we...went out, but as you know it didn't work out as we thought it would." Shinichi explained, grimacing slightly as she recalled that night.

"What is that?" Kaito asked her, tilting his head.

Shinichi blushed, and held out the paper. "See for yourself, Kuroba-kun."

Kaito looked at the suddenly self-conscious detective in front of him, and then at the sheet of paper in her hand, raising an eyebrow at her odd behaviour. Taking it from her, he unfolded it and smoothed it out.

In neat calligraphy, the page read:

To K, the person who had used his magic to help me create this mystery and brought that same phenomenon to my own world, when I needed someone the most. Thank you.

Kaito reread the words, before glancing up at Shinichi, who was visibly fidgeting. He raised a questioning eyebrow. Seeing the perplexed expression on his face, the sleuth released a frustrated sigh before she ran a hand through her hair. "It's the dedication page for The Witch's Banquet. I'm dedicating my first novel, which you helped me with, to you. Geez, and I thought I was oblivious."

Kaito gave her a sunny smile, before his lips curved into his signature shark-grin, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Aw, Shin-chan. I never knew you held KID so close to your heart~! Dedicating a novel to him!"

"I take back my words. I'm going to call the publishing house and ask them to remove the dedication page. You've lost the privilege."

Kaito leaned forward and tackled Shinichi in a bear hug, all the while mindful of her injuries. He nuzzled his nose into the top of her head, before peppering her face with kisses.

"Get off me, you overgrown puppy!"

"No can do~! I love you so much, Shin-chan! You're the best!"

As he held Shinichi in his arms, Kaito's gray cells were pushed into overdrive. They had solved the riddle and found out more about his father that neither of them had expected. But now armed with this knowledge, how would they use it to launch a counterattack against the Organization?

He thought and thought, until finally the magician came up with an idea. It was a risky, recklessly impulsive one that'd require more than Shin-chan's seal of approval and certainly earn her fearsome ire if it fell through the cracks. Still, how could he call himself the Phantom Thief if he did not have a few backup plans up his sleeve?

More secrets have been revealed about Pandora's container, followed by a sweet moment between the detective and gentleman thief over a novel's dedication page. Yet one must wonder what Kaito exactly has up his sleeve. Does he plan to impersonate his dear sleuth again and go to the meeting alone, or will Shinichi be allowed to help him take down the Organization once and for all? Decisions, decisions :)

Please feel free to review or PM me with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and added Paper Faces to their alert lists.

See you next illusion. - (KID caricature)